Should we buy this boat?

[gazza]

if I was selling it I wouldn't have included the picture of the electrics

 

I thought that as well.

 

Spaghetti wring but no shot of the engine!

[Athy]

 

I thought that as well.

 

Spaghetti wring but no shot of the engine!

?

I've looked through all the pictures but can't see one of the electrical panel. Although there is a video which I'm not allowed to see - is it on there?

It says something like "Error: unsupported video" and displays just a black screen.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Athy

[gazza]

?

I've looked through all the pictures but can't see one of the electrical panel. Although there is a video which I'm not allowed to see - is it on there?

this one

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=466394

 

 

[Jrtm]

Not enough wood! I can sell you some old wood. Looks i nice boat but if you do some looking and go and see a few boats youll start to get the idea of what you really would want. Try and take it out if you can for a few hours with the owner really get to grip and decide if its for you. This see if there is anything around thats a slightly better spec at a sim price

[Athy]

this one

 

http://narrowboats.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=466394

466394_3.jpg

 

 

Odd, that does not appear anywhere in the advert as I view it.

Looks like professional equipment unprofessionally installed.

[the barnacle]

Odd, that does not appear anywhere in the advert as I view it.

Looks like professional equipment unprofessionally installed.

 

it shows in the photographs as i view it.

[gazza]

Odd, that does not appear anywhere in the advert as I view it.

Looks like professional equipment unprofessionally installed.

It's not the springer in the OP with the white interior. It's a Liverpool boat.

 

Athy, I'm hoping for the Royal wave we didn't get from you last year at the end of this June as we pass by once more on our annual pilgrimage

Edited May 19, 2016 by gazza

[Athy]

It's not the springer in the OP with the white interior. It's a Liverpool boat.

 

Athy, I'm hoping for the Royal wave we didn't get from you last year at the end of this June as we pass by once more on our annual pilgrimage

Feel free to stop at our mooring if you fancy using Navrady's chippy or Russell's butchers -both highly recommended.

 

I was looking at the Springer advert which explains why I could not see the picture. Must try to keep up...

Edited May 19, 2016 by Athy

[gazza]

Feel free to stop at our mooring if you fancy using Navrady's chippy or Russell's butchers -both highly recommended.

 

I was looking at the Springer advert which explains why I could not see the picture. Must try to keep up...

Thanks for the offer. Not sure what the schedule is yet, Mrs Gazza may hope to stop your way.

If it's nice I like to press on to Salters as it means I don't get wet with the hood down.

 

Rufty tufty motocross rider my arse!!

 

[mark99]

You can save £1000 by not having a survey and rely on ours. Mmmmm.

[Athy]

Thanks for the offer. Not sure what the schedule is yet, Mrs Gazza may hope to stop your way.

If it's nice I like to press on to Salters as it means I don't get wet with the hood down.

 

Rufty tufty motocross rider my arse!!

 

But there are no shops in Salter's Lode. I meant stop if you need to use those shops, as there is no actual public mooring nearby.

[gazza]

But there are no shops in Salter's Lode. I meant stop if you need to use those shops, as there is no actual public mooring nearby.

I know.

 

We are normally loaded to the gunwales so don't need to shop til Downham or Ely.

 

The Chippy sounds a plan!

 

Upwell staithe is a bit tight for us at 9'6" wide, we stick out a bit in the way of the bridge.

 

Outwell basin is better for us TBH.

 

I like getting to Salters so the dog has free run of the 100' river bank as well.

[Bowssening]

Hi Kim - felt I needed to post on this due to my own experience.

When starting our search for a live aboard, I was extremely unrealistic about costings and size required.

We had a lucky escape when we nearly bought one of the first boats we saw - a 30ft narrow. Having lived aboard a 57ft for 5 years now, we often laugh about even considering 2 of us & 2 cats on a 30ft!

However, we did get caught with a little Springer that we really fell in love with. It needed work but we couldn't see past the character and homeliness of it and forked out £25k. Further investigation revealed, despite having had a survey done, it needed far more work than expected and more than we could afford. It had been tarted up just to sell and we had the wool pulled over our eyes with the lick of fresh paint and new floor put over the top of a very damp & rotten one. We couldn't bear to admit our mistake and kept it in the vain hope that one day we'd save enough to do it up. Sadly, many years later, she's still lying empty and untouched - having deteriorated past the point we could probably ever refurbish her & we can't sell her without losing almost all the capital invested. I still get my heartstrings pulled every time I go to check on her but in reality it was a very expensive mistake (she's been like a millstone ever since) and one I would not like anyone else to go through.

Ridiculously we ended up buying a 2nd boat, bit more expensive, bigger, but needing no work except usual maintenance and we lived happily on this one for 5 years. I really wish we'd gone for this one in the 1st place!

On the more positive side, I agree with others comments about Springers - they've been give a bad rap over the years which they don't deserve and generally are pretty hardy despite their often slimmer hull thickness.

Not sure if that helps you at all - let us know what you decide to do though!

[spadefoot]

I'm sure that old Springers are fine, it's just that people pay far too much for them.

£25k is ridiculous. Less than £10k is more realistic.

Also, buying a boat is not a capital investment, it's just money spent.

[AllanC]

Hi Kim - felt I needed to post on this due to my own experience.

When starting our search for a live aboard, I was extremely unrealistic about costings and size required.

We had a lucky escape when we nearly bought one of the first boats we saw - a 30ft narrow. Having lived aboard a 57ft for 5 years now, we often laugh about even considering 2 of us & 2 cats on a 30ft!

However, we did get caught with a little Springer that we really fell in love with. It needed work but we couldn't see past the character and homeliness of it and forked out £25k. Further investigation revealed, despite having had a survey done, it needed far more work than expected and more than we could afford. It had been tarted up just to sell and we had the wool pulled over our eyes with the lick of fresh paint and new floor put over the top of a very damp & rotten one. We couldn't bear to admit our mistake and kept it in the vain hope that one day we'd save enough to do it up. Sadly, many years later, she's still lying empty and untouched - having deteriorated past the point we could probably ever refurbish her & we can't sell her without losing almost all the capital invested. I still get my heartstrings pulled every time I go to check on her but in reality it was a very expensive mistake (she's been like a millstone ever since) and one I would not like anyone else to go through.

Ridiculously we ended up buying a 2nd boat, bit more expensive, bigger, but needing no work except usual maintenance and we lived happily on this one for 5 years. I really wish we'd gone for this one in the 1st place!

On the more positive side, I agree with others comments about Springers - they've been give a bad rap over the years which they don't deserve and generally are pretty hardy despite their often slimmer hull thickness.

Not sure if that helps you at all - let us know what you decide to do though!

I find this hard to understand. to keep it is losing you £25k. If you sell for £5k as a project you will still lose £20k but will at least get some money back. Probably better to cut your losses now.

[MtB]

I'm sure that old Springers are fine, it's just that people pay far too much for them.

£25k is ridiculous. Less than £10k is more realistic.

Also, buying a boat is not a capital investment, it's just money spent.

 

 

Totally agree. Anyone thinking they are 'investing' when buying a boat is fooling themselves or worse, just being mugged.

 

An 'investment' by definition returns a profit year on year. I have no idea how people imagine a falling-value asset like a boat can ever be regarded as an 'investment'.

[QCat]

In monetary terms a boat is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. I paid what I was prepared to for mine.

 

The only return on the investment I'm after is that of a better lifestyle. Turning my brain off from my stressful job to idly watch ducks and only worry about whether to turn north or south out of the Marina is worth every penny :-)

[Catnip King]

3mm is what you want. If its above then I wouldn't worry about it.

[MtB]

3mm is what you want. If its above then I wouldn't worry about it.

 

 

Eh?

 

Why 3mm in particular?

[Catnip King]

 

 

Eh?

 

Why 3mm in particular?

I consider 3mm plenty for how long most people keep their boats for.

[Alan de Enfield]

I consider 3mm plenty for how long most people keep their boats for.

 

Bit of a problem if your insurers say 'NO' to anything less than 4mm tho'

[MtB]

And I find 2mm keeps the water out just as well as 4mm

[Jrtm]

I like to keep 2-3 inches between me and the water.

3-2mm is a bit thin e.g tap something sharp and 2mm soon ends up as 0mm

[Catnip King]

I like to keep 2-3 inches between me and the water.

3-2mm is a bit thin e.g tap something sharp and 2mm soon ends up as 0mm

Must weigh a bit that

[Bowssening]

 

 

Totally agree. Anyone thinking they are 'investing' when buying a boat is fooling themselves or worse, just being mugged.

 

An 'investment' by definition returns a profit year on year. I have no idea how people imagine a falling-value asset like a boat can ever be regarded as an 'investment'.

 

 

I find this hard to understand. to keep it is losing you £25k. If you sell for £5k as a project you will still lose £20k but will at least get some money back. Probably better to cut your losses now.

 

 

Well - 1st of all, we didn't see the boat itself as an investment - we were well aware it's a falling-value asset. However, it was an investment in a better lifestyle and we also found living aboard cheaper than paying currently extortionate mortgage, council tax and standing utility charges of bricks and mortar. In actual fact, we managed to save enough for a deposit on a house over the 5 years we were living on the canals AND had the benefit of loving the experience. So yes - a successful investment I'd do again in future.

 

As for why we don't just get rid of the first 'project' boat - we can't quite let go of the desire to refurbish her. The idea now is to sell our current liveaboard and use the money to finally do up the one that pulls on our heartstrings....

In monetary terms a boat is worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. I paid what I was prepared to for mine.

 

The only return on the investment I'm after is that of a better lifestyle. Turning my brain off from my stressful job to idly watch ducks and only worry about whether to turn north or south out of the Marina is worth every penny :-)

 

100% agree. That's still investment - not everything is purely monetary.